JFK seizure nets more than $100K in fake cash

A total of $121,300 in counterfeit U.S. bills were discovered in a man's luggage at JFK Airport last month.

A man returning from South America was busted at John F. Kennedy International Airport with more than $100,000 in counterfeit cash after authorities discovered numerous bills hidden inside a diary box.

Marlon Williams Rodriguez Ezeta, 21, arrived at the airport on Feb. 21 on a flight from Lima, Peru when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized the fake money.

During an examination of Rodriguez Ezeta’s luggage, an officer removed a cardboard diary box, sliced it open and found what appeared to be counterfeit U.S. $100 bills, CBP officials said.

A further investigation revealed a total of $121,300 in counterfeit U.S. bills concealed in the diary box, two wallets, one fabric box, and two cloth shoe racks.

Rodriguez Ezeta was arrested and the fake money was seized, according to CBP. The evidence was turned over to the Secret Service.